Injured dolphin rescued at Kadena Marina Beach

Anglers casting their lines from the shore by Kadena Marina spotted an injured dolphin washed on the shore of the marina Monday morning, and alerted the staff at the marina.

According to persons who saw the animal, it was weak and had trouble keeping balance. Swimmers and staff from the marina took turns to prop it up and secured its safety.

Three hours later, staff from Ocean Expo Park came to the marina and took it to the park in Motobu for treatment.

According to the Expo Park staff, the dolphin is still weak, and still has difficulty in keeping its sense of balance. At 8 p.m. Monday it was still in critical condition although it’s breathing had improved. A team of specialists from the Expo Park aquarium is keeping a watch on the dolphin.

The dolphin is a young male, 222cm long weighing about 160kg.

The reason for its weak condition is unknown, but its whole body is said to display lots of injuries, including what experts think are bite marks by cookiecutter sharks. The dolphin was also found to suffer from dehydration.